Imovinska šteta je velika.

Because they both agree with šteta, which is a feminine singular noun.

• šteta = feminine singular
• imovinska = feminine singular adjective modifying šteta
• velika = feminine singular adjective describing šteta after je

Croatian adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

So:

• imovinski → masculine base form
• imovinska → feminine singular form

and:

• velik → masculine base form
• velika → feminine singular form

It is in the nominative singular.

This sentence is a basic X is Y structure:

• Imovinska šteta = the subject
• je = is
• velika = predicate adjective

The subject is normally in the nominative, so šteta stays šteta, not štetu, štete, etc.

Because velika must match šteta.

Croatian adjective forms change depending on the noun:

• velik = masculine singular
• velika = feminine singular
• veliko = neuter singular

Since šteta is feminine, the correct form is velika.

Compare:

• Problem je velik. = The problem is big/serious.
• Šteta je velika. = The damage is big/serious.
• More je veliko. = The sea is big.

Imovinska comes from imovina, meaning property, assets, or possessions.

So imovinska šteta means property damage or damage to property.

This is a fairly standard formal or legal expression. In everyday language, people may also talk about damage more loosely, but imovinska šteta is a common set phrase in official, insurance, and legal contexts.

In a normal full statement like this, yes.

• Imovinska šteta je velika. = correct full sentence

Croatian often omits the verb to be in the present tense only in some very limited styles, such as headlines, notes, or very informal speech, but for standard learning purposes you should keep je.

So for a normal sentence, use je.

Yes, Croatian word order is more flexible than English, although not completely free.

The neutral order here is:

• Imovinska šteta je velika.

You could also hear:

• Šteta je velika. = The damage is great.
• Velika je imovinska šteta. = More emphasis on large/great
• Imovinska je šteta velika. = possible, but less neutral and more marked

For learners, the safest and most natural version is:

• Imovinska šteta je velika.

Because Croatian has no articles.

English distinguishes:

• a
• the

Croatian usually does not. So Imovinska šteta je velika can mean something like:

• The property damage is great
• Property damage is great
• The property damage is extensive

The exact interpretation comes from context.

Not necessarily. In this sentence, velika is usually understood more like:

• great
• serious
• extensive
• substantial

With things like damage, loss, or problem, Croatian often uses velik/velika/veliko in a broader sense, not just physical size.

So here it usually means the damage is serious or extensive, not that damage has a physical size.

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

ee-moh-VEEN-ska SHTEH-ta yeh VEH-lee-ka

A few details:

• š sounds like sh in shoe
• j sounds like English y in yes
• je sounds roughly like yeh
• lj and nj are special sounds in Croatian, but they do not appear here

Also, Croatian spelling is very phonetic, so words are usually pronounced close to how they are written.

Yes. That is a perfectly natural sentence.

• Šteta je velika. = The damage is great.

Adding imovinska makes it more specific:

• Šteta je velika. = The damage is great.
• Imovinska šteta je velika. = The property damage is great.

So the longer version gives a more precise meaning.

You change the verb je.

Negative:

• Imovinska šteta nije velika. = The property damage is not great.

Past:

• Imovinska šteta je bila velika. = The property damage was great.

Future:

• Imovinska šteta će biti velika. = The property damage will be great.

The adjective velika stays feminine singular because it still agrees with šteta.

Yes, that is a good idea.

It is a very common collocation in formal Croatian, especially in:

• insurance
• police reports
• legal language
• news reports

So it is useful to learn imovinska šteta as one unit meaning property damage.

That will help you recognize similar phrases more easily, such as:

• velika imovinska šteta = major property damage
• prouzročiti imovinsku štetu = to cause property damage
• nadoknada imovinske štete = compensation for property damage